T-Mobile officially announces G2, pre-orders begin "later this month"

Early this morning, T-Mobile officially announced their first HSPA+ device, the G2. The G2 will pair “a large 3.7-inch screen with a unique hinge design that opens to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard.” The handset will have a MSM7230 Snapdragon processor running at 800 MHz, 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and 720p video recording, 4 GB internal memory, 8 GB micro-SD card preinstalled, and dedicated quick-keys. The device will “be available in the U.S. exclusively from T-Mobile, and current T-Mobile customers will have the opportunity to pre-order the G2 in limited quantities later this month.” We’ve got the full press release after the break.

T-Mobile, Google and HTC re-team to deliver the groundbreaking successor to the T-Mobile G1; Exclusive preorder for current T-Mobile customers begins later this month

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Sept. 9, 2010 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today unveiled the T-Mobile® G2™ with Google™, delivering downloads at 4G speeds1, a blazing fast web browsing experience and tight integration with Google services. The G2 breaks new ground as the first smartphone specifically designed for T-Mobile’s new HSPA+ network2, which covers 100 million Americans in more than 55 major metropolitan areas across the country. The G2 is an ultra-powerful smartphone designed by HTC and is the highly anticipated successor to the T-Mobile G1, the world’s first Android™-powered mobile phone, pairing a large 3.7-inch screen with a unique hinge design that opens to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Current T-Mobile customers will get exclusive access to preorder the G2 starting later this month.

“T-Mobile ignited the spark that set the Android world ablaze two years ago with the launch of the world’s first Android-powered mobile phone, the T-Mobile G1, which remains an important milestone for both T-Mobile and the Android operating system,” said Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer, T-Mobile USA. “Now, with the launch of the T-Mobile G2, we are re-teaming with our partners at Google and HTC to provide T-Mobile customers with another first — the first Android smartphone designed to deliver 4G speeds on our new network.”

“One of the advantages of an open platform is the opportunity for developers to create rich mobile experiences and seamlessly get those experiences into the hands of consumers,” said Andy Rubin, vice president, engineering, Google. “From new services, such as Voice Actions, to mobile applications, developer-led Android innovation is flourishing. On Android Market alone, the number of applications available to consumers has grown from just 50 applications two years ago to more than 80,000 applications today.”

“Two years ago, HTC and T-Mobile worked together to deliver the world’s first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. From that start, Android has grown to be the leading smartphone platform in the U.S., and one of the most popular globally,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. “With today’s announcement of the G2, HTC and T-Mobile are once again bringing a breakthrough Android product to market.”

The first smartphone specifically designed to deliver 4G speeds on T-Mobile’s new HSPA+ network, the G2 is optimized for performance to provide customers with blazing fast access to a world of information through websites, applications, videos, file downloads and more. Built on Android 2.2, the G2 offers seven customizable home screen panels, including a dedicated panel with one-click access to your favorite Google applications such as Android Market™, which currently offers more than 80,000 applications.

The T-Mobile G2 delivers a powerful mobile data experience that is tightly integrated with Google Voice™, as well as packed with Google applications such as Voice Actions™ from Google, Google Goggles™ and more. It is one of the first smartphones in the industry to offer the new Voice Actions feature of Google Search™, which allows you to control your phone with your voice for calling contacts and businesses, sending messages, browsing the Web, listening to music and completing common tasks. It is also the first smartphone to offer integrated access to Google Voice™, allowing customers to create a new account using their current mobile number right from the home screen. Google Voice then automatically transcribes voicemails to text so customers can read them like an e-mail or text message from their phone or online. Additional pre-loaded Google services include Google Search, Gmail™, Google Maps™ with Places and Navigation, YouTube™, Google Talk™ and Google Earth™, among others.

Adding fuel to the G2’s speed is its Snapdragon™ MSM7230 mobile processor which combines Qualcomm’s new HSPA+ capabilities and second generation applications processor. The Snapdragon MSM7230 offers an 800 MHz CPU and is optimized to deliver exceptional performance, long battery life and leading edge multimedia and web browsing — with download speeds faster than other solutions currently in the market.

The G2 delivers advanced smartphone features including an HD video camera for recording crystal-clear, high-definition (720p) videos that can be automatically uploaded to your Photobucket account and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus. The G2 also offers smartphone essentials such as easy access to personal and work e-mail, including support for Microsoft® Exchange e-mail, contacts and calendar; social networking; and instant messaging. In addition, the G2 features a pre-installed 8GB microSD memory card with support for up to 32 GB, as well as a music player.

4GB internal memory with pre-installed 8GB micro SD card, with support for up to 32 GB of external memory

Built-in 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo headset and Bluetooth support

Swype® text input for fast, accurate communication

Availability

The T-Mobile G2 with Google will be available in the U.S. exclusively from T-Mobile, and current T-Mobile customers will have the opportunity to preorder the G2 in limited quantities later this month. Additional availability details will be shared in the coming weeks. Visit http://g2.t-mobile.com to register for updates.

About T-Mobile’s HSPA+ Network

T-Mobile continues to expand its super-fast HSPA+ mobile broadband network, which now covers 100 million Americans in more than 55 major metropolitan areas. T-Mobile’s new HSPA+ network — which offers theoretical peak throughput speeds of 21 Mbps — offers today’s available 4G speeds to more people than any other wireless network in the country, with plans to reach more than 200 million people this year. For more information on where
T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network service is available, please visit http://t-mobile.com/coverage.

Not really sure what T-mobile was thinking with this thing. It isn’t even on the same playing field as Androids on the other carriers. It may not be a big hit for them. I’m sure some will love it, but really – 800mhz not 1ghz
At least they got it right with 2.2 launching on it. Really is only a slight improvement over the MyTouch line.

http://www.mygreatphone.com Darren Keirle

The G2 uses a MSM7230 which is up to 4x faster and only 45mm which has many power benefits.

800Mhz in this instance is actually better than 1Ghz due to the fact its the successor chip.

You’re 100% right about that, but the fact is the average user doesn’t take the time to do research and read about these things. Most of them are only concerned about the specs on paper. Depending on the feedbacks from the hands-on reviews, people could start to change their opinions about this phone. I hope the benchmark tests prove this CPU is superior to the current 1GHZ currently on the market.

Brian

@ Mr. MN

I’d have to say that your assumption is incorrect.

Stand around in any cell phone store for an hour and I can almost guarantee that you’ll never hear a customer ask “hey, what’s the processor speed and RAM on this thing?”

BGR attracts what’s really small segment of the public as readers. That is, the tech-saavy crowd. Joe, Jane, and Junior Six-pack couldn’t care less about phone specs.

So long as it runs the apps that they want (which probably amounts to Facebook, Youtube, and a streaming music app), then they’re happy.

rweddyco

Clock speed isn’t everything. From what people are saying about this processor it’s fast as hell.

My Droid 1, running @ 550 is still faster than 90% of devices out today, and has no problem keeping up once I push it to 800mhz.

This is the best phone out there since the the D1 and Nexus 1. All the new devices have blur, scense, touchwiz crap. This is stock android 2.2 as it should be.

Killah Kyle

I know I put one next to my azn pride and it was twice the size

wallyson

45nm not mm

Andrew Munchbach

Also, it doesn’t look like this phone will have to deal with the “weight” of a UI skin like some of the other 1 GHz phones being released by HTC, Samsung, and Motorola. That should help its cause too.

LCW

This is probably the singlemost biggest benefit of the G2… Non-Sense!! :)

getnthe411

4g huh.. I don’t see it. If T-Mo wants to compete in the smartphone space.. they need more compelling coverage and kick ass phones. The G2 should have been out last year.

Peter fitzenwell

FIRE!!!!!!!!

Nexus 2 pretty much.

This device will be hot. I’m sure there will be lots of mods for this baby :).

zapote21

@me
Why did AMD chips always outperform intel chips of the same clock speed? Anyone anyone?
Its not just the clock speed that counts…
People are so hung up on that number, they would take a 1Ghz hummingbird with a GPU even if it comes with lag (Vibrant), just because it says 1Ghz…

Norm

Only took about one year but Tmobile finally has something on par with the 2009 VZW DROID 1. Now if they could just catch up with coverage from say the early 2000’s then might have a chance, but who am I kidding? This company is dead in the water….

zapote21

You can keep that Droid 1, the extra $100 a month i would have to pay on VZW, and i will keep my HSPA+ download speeds here in Tampa, with free tethering, and a lot more money in my pocket to keep buying new phones…

Norm

Don’t get me wrong. Tmobile is great if you never leave a major metropolitan area. However, if you travel outside of a beltway or wanna stay on a call between two cities I’ll take a consistancy over the glorified wifi hot spot that occasionally shows up with Tmobile. I guess you could also take into accout that Verizon will have LTE up and running everywhere while Tmobile will still not even have EDGE in most places….but again it all depends on your needs and how agoraphobic one is….

Ace Of Space

Verizon LTE is in 2018. If only if you are alive until then !!

Matt

Agree with Norm…I travel a lot internationally and rarely domestically, and I live in a major metropolitan area, and for that combination T-Mobile is just as good or better than Verizon at a much lower price. If my travel habits were reversed it wouldn’t work for me; but that’s why we have a choice of carriers.

Mr MN

I’m sorry did you just say VZW has LTE up and running everywhere? I’m sorry to break it to you, but you’re WRONG about that. T-Mobile has HSPA+ in more cities than VZW has LTE. They’re still testing their LTE in about three major cities (Boston being one of them). I don’t know where you got that from, but I suggest you double check next time.

TknoKing

Correction. He said WILL, not DOES

Ace Of Space

Hey, dude from Verizon , chill out. T-mobile is way better than Verizon and show me one phone that can match G2 in speed. Also there is no such thing as 4G in verizon world. Go get a life

Norm

That’s weird. Tmobile doesn’t have 4G yet either. They have HSPA+ with a very small footprint at that. However if you’d like to talk 4G, Verizon will activate quite a bit in the next two months.

jaymax

Yay for Verizon. /sarcasm. Their “4G” will be slower than TMO’s 3G. Go figure…

trooth

Verizon’s 4G will not be slower than TMO’s 3G. TMO still advertises theoretical speeds and not real world speeds. Sprint 4G in the real world is faster than TMobile’s real world 3G. TMobile doesn’t appeal to the smartest consumers though so no need to rely on facts or anything.

Kev

Wow, it’s amazing how nice it feels to see stock Android in a PR shot. Feels like 2008 all over again. :D

Kev

Also the old Home, Menu, Back and Search configuration. <3

http://mwd.com @JoeHobot

I sent you this last night at like 9pm :) was on my site even before that. Duno what you guys were waiting for, could of just copy and paste it ….

Stock Android Fan

I wish other carriers would embrace stock Android phones without custom UI skins.

Stock Android Fan

specifically Verizon (beyond the original Droid)

chuck Norris

This is one mean smartphone I might get me one of these…

jazzyl

I like it……

debbie barnes

this would have been hot last year.

Im me your you

LOL for all the people who thinks this phone is out dated and slow and blah blah, keep thinking that please so when the phone comes out I will have no problems getting one at my local T-Mobile store.

oh and btw….weren’t people talk the same mess about the N1?

Will

This phone is hot THIS year… Its target is the tech-savvy open-source loving crowd who want a QWERTY device that runs on a GPRS network (international use with a different sim), a solid speed rating (i won’t repeat what’s already been said about the processor) and Vanilla Android 2.2; name an alternative with equivalent speed and memory capabilities; it’s only competition would be the MyTouch Slide (UGH) or what… the Backflip? The Charm? The Droid 2 is nice, but it’s CDMA; also keep in mind that this is an HTC device, so cooked ROM’s and customized apps are damn near already a GO. This is an N1 with a Keyboard, basically. If I didn’t already have an N1, I’d be all over this.

Looks like I’ll just have to wait for the Glacier >=]

Cisco

I spoke with a T-MO Rep a few minutes ago. I asked her if she knew when the G2 would be released and she stated “September 27th”. We all know how inaccurate info from a T-MO rep can be but I thought I would just throw that out there. Maybe she was just referring to the pre-order date?

Spdr-Mn

Yes! Vanilla ANDROID with the HTC Sense buttons, just like the G1!

simplesinger

Does anyone know if the G2 will be able to get Gingerbread?

Crabs

Holy crap, is that a high-end Android smartphone with no skin?! That hasn’t happened in months. And I just finished my switch from T-Mobile. Yish.

Want2CBetter

No mention of wifi on the Tmo site. I hope that’s an error. Other than that, I love the phone.

LaToya (AKA Digital Nightmare)

It is what it is. Would look nicer in all black.

zombiwoof

Does anyone know if I will be able to synch the G2 with itunes on a mac? My wife returned her Vibrant because we couldn’t do it.

USerious

So you returned it because you couldn’t sync to iTunes? I think you should stay away from smartphones all together. First there’s other ways to get music on a device besides iTunes. Second, if you must use iTunes, a quick Google search would have given instructions on how to do it.

As far as the 800 MHZ, I think it’s underclocked. According to wikipedia, the MSM7230 chipset has a clock speed of 1 GHZ. It’s probably underclocked to help with battery life, a la iPhone. So I’m guessing once it’s rooted, you should be able to use SetCPU and set it at 1 GHZ right away. I’m sure some devs will release a kernel that will push it past 1 GHZ at some point. I think the original MyTouch3G was 384 MHZ out of the box but rooting it and using SetCPU let you put it at 528 MHZ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon_%28processor%29

In any case, the point is, is that it doen’t need to be overclocked. The G2 will be great as-is with its next-gen processor and GPU.

USerious

Learn to read. I didn’t say it was only capable of 384, just that it was the speed I remember it being set at out of the box. Once I rooted the phone and installed SetCPU, I was able to set the speed to the max of 528MHZ (the max speed unless you install an OC kernel).

Killah Kyle

I feel all tingly inside

TknoKing

Despite how amazing this device seems, it will never reach the status, and have the same support as the original Moto Droid. And thats all because of one factor, T-Mobile.

PatientlyWaiting

As long as Cyanogen gets one and devs for it, G2 owners will be more than fine!

3 Phones Jugglin

Gotta Love those HTC keyboards..

Miggy

Rumor has it that Catherine Zeta-Jones will return to the T-Mobile Fold and will be the sole commercial/endorser of this device.

Does that mean no more dumbass commericials with Chevy Chase’s & Jesse James ugly mugs on my Google TV Screen?